Want to learn
about some interesting life forms with which we share the planet? Take
a look at the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species of
the Day archives (www.iucnredlist.org/species-of-the-day/archives).
This impressive undertaking was created to celebrate the International
Year of Biodiversity in 2010. Each day a different species of plant or
animal was selected "to raise awareness of the incredible variety
of life on Earth."

From December's
list you can read about the dragon's blood tree, which has a deep red
resin and is found on the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. The tree
is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as vulnerable to
extinction in the wild. From November's list check out the rare, poorly
studied pink fairy armadillo. The smallest of the armadillos, this tiny
pink animal is found only in central Argentina. Or you can focus on a
particular taxonomic group, such as whales.

The IUCN
Cetacean Specialist Group, a 100-member committee composed of international
experts, plays a key role in "identifying problems of conservation
of the world's dolphins, whales, and porpoises." Currently, 87 species
of cetaceans are recognized, including the extinct Yangtze river dolphin.
Five were featured in 2010 as species of the day: the South Asian river
dolphin, blue whale, North Atlantic right whale, Irrawaddy dolphin and
the vaquita (a rare species of porpoise). All are at risk of extinction.

The vaquita,
the smallest cetacean, lives in Mexico's Gulf of California. It is the
poster child for how certain human endeavors threaten the survival of
some of our planet's incredible animals. Only 150 to 250 vaquitas are
believed to be alive in the wild. The population is "undergoing a
disastrous decline" and the species is classified as critically endangered.
The culprit? Fishermen's gill nets in which the little mammals become
entangled. Efforts have been made to reduce the threat of porpoises becoming
by-catch in nets, but the system apparently needs more stringent enforcement
and some change in fishing practices to be successful.

Finding
out that the blue whale is listed as endangered by IUCN should concern
anyone. This is "the largest animal ever to have lived on the planet."
I once had my grandson use a tape measure in our backyard and walk the
98-foot distance that would be covered by a blue whale. We were both impressed.
According to IUCN, "this giant is found in all oceans, ranging from
the tropics to the periphery of drift-ice in polar seas, with a preference
for open waters." Overhunted for decades, driven almost to extinction
by the 1960s, the blue whale is currently protected from hunting by the
International Whaling Commission.

Another endangered
cetacean species is the South Asian river dolphin, a freshwater species
of the Indus, the Ganges and other rivers of the region. Despite being
legally protected, it faces many man-made perils, including damming of
rivers, chemical pollution, collisions with boats, entanglement in fishing
nets and, in clear violation of legal sanctions, hunting--including harpooning.
Being essentially blind, the South Asian river dolphin relies heavily
on echolocation for navigation.

The Irrawaddy
dolphin of the Indo-Pacific and the North Atlantic right whale both suffer
from entanglement in commercial fishing gear and from collisions with
ships. The endangered right whales were "historically . . . common
on both sides of the Atlantic," but today the species "appears
to be effectively extinct in the eastern North Atlantic, . . . having
been hunted relentlessly for centuries before being given protection in
the 1930s." How can we modify our commercial and cultural attitudes
in order to maintain this awesome array of animals?

School projects
that focus on a particular group of plants or animals or a specific region
of the world can enlighten students about the plight of some life forms
still here with us. The IUCN website would make an excellent starting
point for such classroom research. The site will soon feature a new series
called Amazing Species. Visit it to expand your own knowledge of Earth's
marvelous biodiversity.